The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) mourns the death and honors the life of Mary Frances Polanco (Jicarilla Apache), a founder and the first treasurer of the Indigenous Journalist Association.
Polanco died on Friday, March 6, 2025 in her hometown of Dulce, NM. She was 86 years old.
In 1983, two dozen Native American journalists came together at Penn State University to form the Native American Press Association, which later became the Native American Journalists Association. At the yearly convention in 2023, the name was changed to the present day name, Indigenous Journalist Association.
Polanco was elected to the first executive board as treasurer. She worked full time at the newspaper she founded, the Jicarilla Chieftain, where she was the editor for over forty years. Due to health issues she retired in 2020.
IJA will honor Polanco during the 2025 Indigenous Media Conference in Albuquerque, NM., August 13-15.
Funeral services will be held in Dulce, New Mexico. To email condolences, email her daughter Sabrina at: Bacasabrina@hotmail.com.
To send cards or make a donation, mail to:
Sabrina Baca
PO Box 1842, Dulce, NM 87528
